Call first

If Allen Park is more than a few minutes away, save yourself the time and trouble and call before you leave (or take time off work). Sudden rain or extreme heat can force the players indoors on the coaches’ whim—and that means no viewing for fans.

I have personally driven down from Lansing only to be waved off by a team staffer in a poncho. Be smarter than me and dial the training camp hotline: 313-262-2882.

Get there early

The team’s Allen Park facility was not designed to accommodate fans. Though it’s improved greatly since the mid-2000s, and the team has worked very hard to make that so, getting there in time to get good seats can be nightmarish.

Plan on getting to the Blue Lot (410 Town Center Drive, Dearborn MI, 48126; the team insists you use Google Maps to navigate to the correct lot) two hours before the start time. Shuttles start running then, and you’ll want to be on one ASAP.

Gates open an hour before practice; if you want your pick of the viewing spots (or any chance of getting an autograph) you’ll want to be there when they do.

Don’t bring anything you might want to bring

No good cameras, no food or drink, no selfie sticks or drones, no umbrellas, lawn chairs or blankets. You’re going to be standing in the hot sun with only pricey concessions for relief, so liberally apply food, drink and sunscreen to your body before you get on the shuttle.

Binoculars, though, are okay, and they’ll come in very handy when the team breaks into positional drills all over the field.

Make sure you follow the usual clear-bag policy for games, because the last thing you want is to get all the way out there and then have to shuttle back to your car to drop off something that’s not allowed.

Look around

Keep your head on a swivel, because half the interesting action isn’t happening on the field.

Look for head coach Jim Caldwell, but also try to spot coordinators and position coaches and watch them work. See how players interact, keep your ears open for what they’re saying to each other. What are the special-teamers up to over on the side? Sometimes your best chances to see something meaningful aren’t happening during 7-on-7 or 11-on-11.

You’ll also get rare glimpses of team executives (and potentially even owner Martha Ford!), which is about the only time fans get to see them. Be respectful of the rules and players, though; the OTHER last thing you want is to be kicked out of the facility for being obnoxious or going some place that’s out of bounds.

Remember: you’re there to watch highly paid professionals do their job. This is like letting fans and cameras onto your factory floor or cubicle maze; never forget that you’re entering a space that was specifically built to help your team get better in privacy.

Mind your social media

Fans are allowed to share pictures and thoughts about what they’re seeing in real time, but credentialed media members are not. Please try to avoid breaking the internet by Tweeting things you aren’t sure about or are only guessing at.

Any questions?

If we’ve left any question unanswered, please hit up the team’s official email for camp questions: trainingcamp@lions.nfl.net.

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